Pedro Martinez vs Bret Saberhagen: Career Stats Comparison
Pedro Martinez has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Pedro Martinez played 1992–2009 as a pitcher; Bret Saberhagen played 1984–2001 as a pitcher.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
Pedro Martinez (1992–2009) and Bret Saberhagen (1984–2001) — they debuted in the 1990s and the 1980s respectively and share 10 seasons. Pedro Martinez finished with 219 wins and 3,154 strikeouts; Bret Saberhagen finished with 167 wins and 1,715 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Pedro Martinez, in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Pedro Martinez, with 2.93 to Bret Saberhagen's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Pedro Martinez, with 219 to Bret Saberhagen's 167.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Pedro Martinez, with 3,154 to Bret Saberhagen's 1,715.
- Who had the better WHIP? Pedro Martinez, with 1.05 to Bret Saberhagen's 1.14.
- How many innings did each pitch? Pedro Martinez 2,827.1, Bret Saberhagen 2,562.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Pedro Martinez, with 17 to Bret Saberhagen's 16.
Pedro Martinez
Bret Saberhagen
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate. Cells highlighted in green mark the player who leads that line. Lower ERA, WHIP and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Pedro Martinez | Bret Saberhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 219 | 167 |
| Losses not scored | 100 | 117 |
| Games not scored | 476 | 399 |
| Games Started not scored | 409 | 371 |
| Complete Games | 46 | Leads: 76 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 17 | 16 |
| Saves not scored | 3 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,154 | 1,715 |
| Walks not scored | 760 | 471 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,221 | 2,452 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 239 | 218 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,827.1 | 2,562.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.93 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.05 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.04 | 6.02 |
| BB/9 | 2.42 | Leads: 1.65 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pedro Martinez outpaces Bret Saberhagen 113,314 to 53,065 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,295 PIV per season to 3,317, across 18 seasons to 16. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Pedro Martinez — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bret Saberhagen — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Pedro Martinez leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, shutouts, strikeouts, ERA, and others. Bret Saberhagen leads 2: complete games and walks per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pedro Martinez. PIV agrees: Pedro Martinez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Pedro Martinez and Bret Saberhagen careers compare
The careers of Pedro Martinez (1992–2009) and Bret Saberhagen (1984–2001) overlapped from 1992 to 2001, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 476 games for Pedro Martinez and 399 for Bret Saberhagen across 18 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Bret Saberhagen's edges on the table are complete games (76 to 46) and walks per nine (1.65 to 2.42). The per-nine rows read 10.04 strikeouts and 2.42 walks for Pedro Martinez, 6.02 and 1.65 for Bret Saberhagen.
Pedro Martinez vs Bret Saberhagen: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pedro Martinez or Bret Saberhagen?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pedro Martinez leads Bret Saberhagen in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Pedro Martinez, with 2.93 to Bret Saberhagen's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Pedro Martinez, with 219 to Bret Saberhagen's 167.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Pedro Martinez, with 3,154 to Bret Saberhagen's 1,715.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Pedro Martinez, with 1.05 to Bret Saberhagen's 1.14.